The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-01-08
DIAMOND CUTTING.
THE WORK THAT is DONE BY
THE JEWS OF AMSTERDAM.

The Diamond Cutters Art COmpar-
ativeIy Modern One-How the Work is
Carried On-A Tedious Process-POlish-
ers at Their Wheels.
The quarter of Amsterdam inhabited
by the Jews is curious, but in respect to
neatness contrasts unfavorably with the
rest of the city. 1t is visited principally
to see the workshops of the diamond cut
tiers, which are near Joden Bree STRAIT, in
the vicinity of the Portuguese syna-
gogue. These form one of the leading
industrial features of the Dutch metrOpo-
lis. There are engaged in the business
forty merchants and prOprietOrs of IT.
ting and polishing works, and some III,
900 persons in subordinate capacities,
whom it maintains in comfort or in lux
ury, and to whom it is said to be worth
over $50, coo, 900. Nine thousand of the
10000 are Jews, that race having had
from very distant times an extraordinary
affinity for this form of wealth.
A COMPARATIVELY MODERN ART.
1t is strange to think that the art of
cutting the diamond, though the stone
itself has been held precious from a
period which antedateS history, should
only have been discovered in the Six
teenth century. Before that time rough
diamonds only were used, and those
pyramidal figure, and which were set
with the point projecting. In 1876
Louis de Berguem discovered the art of
cutting the stone and of polishing it with
it's own dust. Then for the first time it's
true beeuty was revealed. 1t has from
time to time been cut in many forms, as
any one may see who examines models of
those most famous, but only two are now
employed by skilful lapidaries-the rose |
and the brilliant. The rose cutting is |
only for thin stones. 1t presents on |
one side pyramid of triangular facets |
and on the other a flat surface to be hid |
den by the mounting. The brilliant on |
the contrary, presents on one side flat |
surface, surrounded by triangular fac
cts, and on the other pyramid Of facets, |
intended to be placed openly in the set |
ting and to reflect the light
Most of the diamond cutting and pol !
iShing establishments are in ZWangen- |
burger STRAIT, and unless one has guide |
he finds the locality with difficulty Once |
found, there is no trouble about seeing |
the operations The proprietors are only |
too glad to receive visitors who may be |
come customers, for there is a good deal |
of rivalry in the business. The conci-
erge conducts them through the place,
receiving half florin CT cents for the |
service.
HOW THE WORK Is DONE
The work is carried Oh on several |
floors and the processes, though nice,
are simple, uniform and easily under |
stood. The power is supplied by hand
some steam engine in the basement in a |
very simple manner. BY means of cogs
it is transferred to upright shafts run
ming up through the different floors.
These have great horizontal pullies from
which it is conveyed to the polishing
wheels ranged along the sides of the |
rooms. These are also. horizontal. The |
first operation consists in dividing the
diamond as many times as is deemed nee
essary Technically this is called cleav-
age and it is one of the miracles of ma
ture Chat the hardest substance known /
is capable Of such minute separation.
1t IS the business of the Skilful work
man to find the cleavage by following the
seams OF its: crystalline forms, which run
parallel to the faces of a regular octahe-
dron. Having found it he fixes the rough
diamond on the end Of a short stick, or
mandrel, by means of a cement which is
easily softened by heat, but hardens
quickly, holding the stone in it's place
with the requisite tenacity. Then by
the aid of another diamond having cut
ting edge and fixed to another mandrel
in the same manner, he traces line
along the face of the hard crystal. It is
only necessary then to apply the edge of
has traced, give smart blow and the
diamond quickly separates at the point
desired
A TEDIOUS PROCESS.
The first cutting is done by workman
whose hands are protected by thick
gloves, who, having fixed two diamonds
immovably in the manner just described,
rubs them briskly together, which re-
suits in giving the form rose or the form
I.yiI1 font to
stone or the preference of the master.
These manipulations of the diamond are
performed ovel little boxes that not a
particle of the powder be lost. The men
engaged in it sit at little table or bench
adjacent to the main room, whose ap-
purtenances are all of the most primitive
description. The polishing is performed
with great exactitude. The horizontal
wheels or discs used for it are of steel
about a foot in diameter The diamond
dust is mixed with oil before being ap-
piled. The diamond is firmly fixed in an
egg shaped piece of lead in such manner
that only the surface to be applied to the
disc is exposed. To the lead is attached
a sort of stem or short handle which is
taken by the polisher by means of a pair
of pincersl When touched to the disc
the pince1s are held immovabIe by two
pieces of iron, one of which presses it
firmly on one side and the other on the
other.
The poishers sit at their wheels in n
long row dong either wall, but at a little
distance ftom it and facing the middle of
the room. The diamonds are fixed in the
leaden eggs by set of workmen, much
less in MURDER, who sit at little furnaces
along the wall. It takes a keen eve to
determine when the facet has been cut
lust enougBand not too much-Amster-
dam Cor. STA Francisco Chronicle